Month: March 2018

I sit at home on my couch in Melbourne writing a reflection of my shortest yet most absolutely brilliant Adelaide Fringe festival so far.

It’s the last weekend of Fringe, my boyfriend has jumped on a plane to head over for the final weekend party and I’m here with beer, my laptop and party tunes playing from the TV (which has made me realise that Mandy Moore’s ‘Candy’ really didn’t get the credit it deserved- or maybe that beer is stronger than I thought…)
I’m a bit sad – it’s the first time I’m missing the closing weekend party since I was 17 and I don’t know if I’ll survive without getting loose on the dance floor while everyone sings along to Toto’s Africa and the DJ pauses the chorus and it’s just people screaming I BLESS THE RAINS DOWN IN AFRICA into the Adelaide parklands (happens every year, you can’t deny  crowd of overtired artists what they really want)… but I had to come back to reality – it would have been far too easy to stay existing in the beautiful yet exhausting world that was this years amazingly wonderful festival!

Despite the fact that I was only in Adelaide for half of the festival, and the fact that I saw far fewer shows than I have in recent years, it was still my favourite. Without a doubt.

 

I’ve been performing in some form or another for the past five years and I’ve been seeing shows since I was a kid – really getting into the flow of things when I hit year 12 at school but this year was different because I got perform a show which I co-wrote with my wonderful friend Mikayla Lynch and people really loved it! That’s not to say that I haven’t been in shows people have loved before (if people hadn’t liked the other stuff I probably wouldn’t have kept doing shows…) but for some reason I was more worried about this one. For starters I was writing for two characters – I’d written stand up as myself and performed improv as a character but I’d never really, in a setting where pride and money was on the line, written for one!
I was working with some who I hadn’t worked with before and even worse, we were located in different states meaning that collaboration sessions had to occur via Skype with work flow being managed via online programs (I bloody LOVE Trello!).
Our venue fell through at the last minute.
I didn’t know if I could pull this off (I had faith in Mikayla but I was more worried that I’d make her look bad…)

 

But I really wanted to do it! The original and very vague idea for the show was born out of a real bad time – cold wintery Melbourne in which I was having a pretty awful time mentally. Work sucked hardcore and I was still figuring out how to make new friends in a new city (making friends is hard as an adult!) but I was heading to my favourite No Lights No Lycra regularly to keep my spirits up. It was dancing around like an absolute twat that I had the first idea – and Mikaya’s name popped into my mind – and from there, I messaged here and things…just…rolled.

Oh and the venue falling through? The AMAZING Raj House team stepped us and gave us a home at the last minute!

Flash forward to February and we’d sold tickets…we had reviewers coming…we had 10 shows booked in plus spots at variety nights and we were shitting ourselves – would people ‘get’ these two weird characters we had written? Would they get the jokes? Would they think we were being serious…was it obvious enough? Would our bits fall out of our costumes?

But it worked. It. Just. Worked.

Probably because we worked our assess off to make sure that it did.

And I saw some amazing shows. And I danced with amazing people and I drank too much beer (and some champagne that came in a can…which was…a thing that happened)

So read this please and make me feel less sad about missing the last weekend of Fringe – because I’m just bloody thankful I got to be apart of it and have a bloody AMAZING time (and maybe…keep an eye out for Cheryl and Chardee at a festival or on a computer screen near you…cough…cough).

P.S have a read of some of our sikkkkk reviews (including an beautiful **** review below)

Weekend Notes

All Over Adelaide

The BLOODY Advertiser 

Stage Whispers 

This little article, originally published here; https://adelady.com.au/how-to-survive-the-adelaide-fringe/ was a piece written in the character of Chardee (played by moi!), along with her buddy Cheryl (the wonderful Mikayla Lynch) who recently performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Fringe has arrived and just like Christmas (but without your weird auntie Sharon getting drunk and taking her teeth out) it’s exciting, confronting, and sometimes a little bit overwhelming.
Without a doubt it’s the best time to be in Adelaide; the weather’s great, all your mates are out and there a million and one things to do but it’s always good to grab a little advice – so we got in touch with a couple of ladies who know exactly how to help out. Performing their sassy show, Get Sweatyin the exciting new Rajopolis hub at Raj House, Cheryl and Chardee (alter egos of Adelaide girls Mikayla Lynch and Alicia Norton) are two semi-professional aerobics instructors who are to Fringe what Dolly Doctor was to your teenage woes. We’ve got the questions (that you’re too afraid to ask) and they’ve got the guide…on how to make it through Fringe and come out the other side with your sanity and dignity (mostly) intact.

Dress for comfort (but also for fashion)

Chardee: I’ve got thighs that do a little bit more than just kiss and combined with the brutal February heat, well all of a sudden it’s like a water slide down there and not in a good way. It’s difficult to get a park in the city and if walking is on the agenda things get a bit…ouchie. My Fringe fashion advice is to always add a sneaky pair of bike shorties under your cute summer dress – because you never know when the dreaded chafe could hit.

Cheryl: Be bold, fringe is the perfect time to pull out that sequined cat-suit you own, take that baby out and rock it. I mean what’s holding you back?

Pace yourself

Chardee: Just like a good love making session, Fringe is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve got a whole month (and a touch) to survive, so don’t try and pack it all into one weekend – enjoy the entire ride!

Cheryl: Take a bloody risk! See that show that caught your eye, worst case it will make for a good story.

Networking is not a dirty word

Chardee: You never know who might offer to buy you a drink at the Fringe bar later that night – be nice to everyone because they could be keeping you hydrated / providing you with dancing juice later in the night!

Cheryl: Fringe is the perfect time to make international lifelong friends. Also, a great time to be single, if you know what I mean!

Plan…but not too much

Chardee: make a list of shows you REALLY want to see (cough) *ours* (cough) and pre-purchase your tickets to them – you do not want to miss out when everyone else finds out how great we are…but you also need to leave room for those cheeky surprises….

Cheryl: I’m a big planner, but fringe is the one time where you have to loosen that grip on the diary. Don’t forget to pick your kids up from school, but be open to new experiences.

Just say yes!

Chardee: Your mum would probably tell you otherwise but this is that one time of the year when you can follow a guy dressed as a pirate down a dark alley way and it will probably end well…probably.

Cheryl: What have you got to lose?

…but sometimes say no…

Chardee: I promise that you can’t go out and get Fringe-y every night. We’re trained professionals, at the peak of our profession (well okay, we’re semi-professional and we get puffed out pretty easily) and even we need a break sometimes.

It’s okay to say no, the Winter Olympics is on the telly and some of those athletes are pretty easy on the eye…plus you can’t sit on the couch without pants and a bra in The Garden of Unearthly delights…and sometimes we all just need some bra-free time.

Cheryl: pace yourself babe, no one wants to be the person that misses the party because they hit the pre-drinks too hard. It’s the same with Fringe. Manage that energy. Keep yourself safe.

Food is more than just midnight fries

Chardee: it’s easy to forget about vegetables that aren’t fast, fried and made of potato…make some time, room and effort and get an apple in your chops. It’ll boost your immune system, keep you regular and help you look as hot in leotards as Cheryl and I do.

Cheryl: Look, I take impeccable care of my machine, but it’s a temptation to eat burritos every night. Pre-make some meals, pop em in the fridge. Take care of yourself.

Sleep before you’re dead

Chardee: If there’s one question that people always ask me without a doubt its “Chardee, how do you stay so hot?” and while it’s not really a simple answer, I need to make people satisfied so I tell them that sleep is just so bloody important – and it’s not a straight up lie. You’ll need to make sure you get some solid sleep to make it through Fringe alive!

Cheryl: I am big fan of a nap, you can make time to close those peepers.

Dance like everybody is watching

Chardee: No matter how ridiculously you dance, there’s always going to be someone at Fringe going harder and crazier who’s far less inhibited – so let you’re freak flag fly and combine exercise with fun on the d-floor and if you’re stuck for moves then grab a ticket to our show!

Cheryl: Here’s the thing, YOU CAN DANCE. Even if your repertoire is Kate Bush moves, rock those. I am all about a good boogie and if you are too come join us!